EHL: Edinburgh University ready to embrace historic EHL adventure – EHL

125 years in the making, Edinburgh University men’s European debut at EHL ROUND1 next week in Eindhoven is fittingly timed for one of Scotland’s oldest clubs.

The club raised the curtain on this historic season recently with an alumni celebration featuring many of the leading lights of old. Next week, they travel to the Netherlands for their first ever European club competition.

“It is a really special moment,” says Scottish international Jamie Croll. “Whatever happens out in Eindhoven, it’s going to be a great weekend for everyone involved. Not just the players but all the people who have been involved with the club over many years.

“When you consider the history of Edinburgh University Hockey Club and everything that’s gone into building the programme over so many years, to be the group that finally gets the club to the Euro Hockey League is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

In so doing, when they meet Lille MHC on Friday, October 9^th, they will also be just the third university side to play in the EHL and the first since Politechnika Poznanska in 2013.

Qualification was achieved last season when they won the Scottish title, the culmination of a journey that has seen them close on a number of occasions before finally making the breakthrough.

“We’ve been close before and there have been teams in previous years that were more than capable of winning the league and qualifying for the EHL, so there was definitely a sense that we didn’t want another opportunity to slip away,” he said.

“What changed was our belief. We’d beaten Western Wildcats during the season, we’d competed with all the top sides and we knew we had the quality. When we got into those big moments, there was a confidence throughout the squad that we could handle the pressure.

“Once you’ve got that winning mentality and everybody buys into it, it becomes a really powerful thing.”

The achievement is particularly notable given the nature of a university programme, where players constantly graduate and new “freshers” arriving each year.

It means a natural turnover who need to “mould together”, often with slightly curtailed preseason compared to other clubs due to university’s summer break.

Much of Edinburgh’s success stems from their ability to attract Scotland’s top young talent. The strength of the university hockey programme, combined with the opportunity to combine elite sport and higher education, has become a powerful recruitment tool.

Free university tuition fees in Scotland also makes the decision easier for some rather than going “down south”. Commitment to good coaching has also helped with Olympian Graham Moodie and ex-international Hamish Imrie leading the programme before Neil Allan – Scotland’s senior men’s coach – came on board as Director of Hockey.

They have brought together several Scottish Under-21 internationals and have been able to keep experienced heads on a “wildcard” basis after graduation.

Croll graduated this summer and is on a year of grace; fellow international Keir Robb did likewise while goalkeeper Matthew Taylor, 25, has just completed his teacher training.

“The university programme within Scotland is a massive draw for players who want to push on towards junior and senior international hockey,” says Croll. “There’s been more investment over recent years and a bigger focus on performance hockey. We’ve known the potential was there, but now we’ve finally managed to realise it.”

According to Croll, Allan has helped establish standards that endeavour to mirror elite European clubs while recognising the realities of student life.

“What Neil brings is the ability to drive standards and ensure we’re training as close as possible to a professional European side, while maintaining that student-life balance.

“People sometimes underestimate how much goes into it. You’re trying to train and compete at a really high level while also studying for a degree, meeting deadlines and doing all the normal things that come with university life. It’s a challenge, but it’s also one of the reasons we’re so proud of what this group has achieved.

“It’s a difficult thing to do when players but Neil has helped us get that balance right.”

Another transformative arrival has been Jamie Golden, whose prolific scoring record has made him one of the most feared strikers not just in Scotland but beyond.

The Scotland international fired his side to EuroHockey Championship qualification this summer, previously won an EHL medal with Surbiton and scored an astonishing 60 goals last season. He provides Edinburgh with a genuine world-class weapon from penalty corners.

“Jamie is just a world-class player,” says Croll. “He brings something that not many other teams in Scotland have.

“He gets a lot of credit and rightly so, because his numbers are incredible. But what makes it work is the way the rest of the team complements him and the fact we can still play a really high-quality style of hockey while having that additional threat.

“I think Jamie could go and do this in any league in the world, really, and the fact he decides that this is the right place for him means a lot to everyone.”

Now, attention is turning towards Europe. Edinburgh’s debut EHL draw has placed them alongside French champions Lille and Austria’s SV Arminen, two clubs with far greater European experience but also offering definite opportunity.

“Whoever you’re going to face is going to be a difficult match-up and certainly a step up from where we are in Scotland. We know that and we’re well aware of it.

“But if you look at the draw objectively, it’s a really good opportunity to play really tough, competitive fixtures. We’re looking at this as a great opportunity to go out and showcase our ability and our style of hockey.

“The results will be what they are, but I think our group is going to be really interesting. The games will be tight and highly contested, which is what you want.”

For Croll, the EHL has always represented the pinnacle of club hockey. As a youngster with Grange, he was fortunate enough to experience the competition from close quarters and understand the unique atmosphere that surrounds it.

The prospect of facing clubs packed with Dutch, German, Spanish and international stars remains one of the tournament’s great attractions.

“Playing against those clubs and players is what people from Scotland dream about,” he says.

“You rarely get opportunities to play against that level of opposition. Even internationally, you don’t often face those players. To do it in a club environment is really special.”